
A CGI of the OCEA FPB 100 MKII patrol boat ordered by the French Customs (Credit : OCEA) Note UAV landing area aft port side.
Naval News reports that French Customs has ordered a pair of new patrol boats in the WPB class. They have some interesting features.
These are slightly smaller than the Island class cutters at 32 meters or 105 feet. They are all Aluminum. This newest version includes a night vision device and a larger, faster, 7 meter 35 knot RHIB deployed, like on other OCEA designs, by davit . But most remarkably they are expected to host a rotary wing UAV.
Ukraine contracts for local build of five of an expected 20 similar patrol boats. https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/06/ukraine-ministry-of-interior-selects-nibulon-shipbuilding-to-build-five-patrol-vessels/
Hmmm…
Ukraine just got the purchase of 16 Mk VI patrol boats (and associated equipment) approved too. They’ll eventually operate more Mk VI PBs than the US Navy